After Africa

Kahawa!

Thanks to Kate!

Video cameras monitoring traffic (jam) in Tanzania

Arusha will be next after Dar-es-salaam to have its major roads installed with live video cameras to monitor traffic, according to the Arusha Times today.

I suggest the Tanzanian traffic police put their recordings on YouTube - it might be as fun to watch as this one:

 

Do also read the Mikocheni Report on traffic jam in Dar es Salaam here.

There is a deeper meaning to be found by watching traffic, and maybe a lesson to learn on how to navigate in society?

# 02: Tanzanian President 2.0

President Kikwete, or rather his communication team, began following me last night on Twitter. And a few other bloggers, for example the Mikocheni Report, who here blogs about it.

Like Elsie at the Mikocheni Report, I am also curious about the fact that the president's communication team found use in Twitter. We all know Kikwete is the next president, that this will be his second time round due to the fact of lack of other candidates.

Hence, the motivation for taking up social media in a presidential campaign must be grounded in something else. And personally, I find that very interesting. What will it tells us about the Tanzanian government's take on new media; on media in general; and will it create more attention or cautiousness?

Follow the president on Twitter here and his blog here.

I see the communication team picks up fast, which is a good sign. On the other hand I hope they will use the choice of social media for more dialogue with citizens, and less splashing of green and yellow.

Green Barley Field

Dandelions

Go experience Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba on Roskilde Festival!

Do me a favour if you go to the Roskilde Festival this weekend!  

Go experience Bassekou Kouyate who is playing in the Pavillion on Saturday night at 21:00. I saw him on Sauti za Busara in 2008 in Zanzibar, and will never forgot the fact that someone told me that his wife appararently is the Malian equivalent of TIna Turner.

Cool performers!

Danish Midsommer. The longest day

Photos from a bright midsommer evening in Dollerup.

Two ways

There are always two ways.

Two versions of a story.

Two options before you ask a question.

Let me give you an example:

Q 1: 5 years in Africa! It does something to you, doesn't it!?

could also be asked:

Q 2: 5 years in Africa! That must have been fantastic!?

The way you ask says a lot about your perspective.

 

Mzungu Eyes. Africa gets back to me

I was notified that my blog was featured in today's Citizen in Tanzania, as above.

I have currently followed the newspaper's intiative to mention hot bloggers, and I must say that I'm truly honoured for the attention (in spite I now blog After Africa).

This week I have been participating in a seminar on development communication via my new job, where a wide selection of Danish development communication actors were present.

I look for Africa all the time, the unfiltrated versions. But mostly in vain, A lot of the Danish development communication is filtrated, and based on a lot of selective minds and the need for controlling it along with fundraising strategies.

I miss the real stuff, and I am putting it up as my personal mission to work for integrating more of the real stuff into the Danish media.

Therefore, I am really enthuthiastic to realise that African media picks this one up.

Asante sana!

NB. My mother also complained about the size of the font - I'll have to look at it ;-)

Day of the African Child

Half a year ago I walked down the street to Regina Mundi in Soweto with someone explaining what he did on June 16 in 1976. You stand there with someone, who makes history real, and it does make you obliged to remember in a whole different way than when you read about it in the books.

Today is 'International Day of the African Child' honouring the people who got killed during the Soweto uprising.

Photography: Children of Africa.